"Why? What Evil Hath He Done?"
By Uriah Smith
When the Jews were clamoring for the blood of Jesus, their blind fury, their groundless and diabolical hate, received a staggering blow from the simple and innocent question put to them by Pilate, "Why? What evil hath he done?" Goaded to madness by a question which at once laid bare their own motives, and brought vividly to mind the innocency of their victim, they only shut their ears, and cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified! Let him be crucified! There are a few scattering individuals, who not being of us, or because they felt ill at ease in a church where there is the gift of prophecy and a discerning of spirits or at least of bad habits;—there are a few such individuals who have gone out from us, and are naturally enough doing what they can to denounce the visions and raise prejudice against them. Over this the Millennial Harbinger grows jubilant, and in its issue of Nov. 25, speaks to the effect that if these individuals can "do anything by which to enlighten the much-deluded followers of Mrs. White," that is its language, it can wish them success. The Harbinger and its supporters, have appeared in times past, to be utterly at a loss upon which to bestow their bitterest and intensest hate, the Sabbath or the visions. Apparently regarding them each as objects of all the enmity they could muster, they have seemed to hesitate which to take as the object of that enmity, in preference to the other. But we have it at last. They deliberately take the visions instead of the Sabbath. We can come to no other conclusion; for these very individuals whom they bid God speed in their opposition to the visions, are for the time being observers and defenders of the Sabbath, and their bidding them success, is as much as to say, We will put up with the Sabbath, we will tolerate you in observing and propagating that, if you will only work yourselves up into sufficient fire and fury against the visions. There were two things mentioned by the prophet, as special objects of enmity with the carnal heart—the commandments of God, and the testimony of Jesus; Rev. xii, 19; and surely the pen of inspiration did not go astray in intimating that pre-eminent in this respect would be the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy, by once mentioning this to the exclusion of all else, as the characteristic of the church right in connection with her final triumph over her bitterest foes. Rev. xix, 2, 10. Now we ask, Why all this bitterness, why all this opposition, why all this zeal against the visions? What evil have they done? They are published abroad, and are open for all who wish to engage in the work of their investigation. Do they counsel evil, or devise wickedness? Do they lower the standard of morality? Do they lead their adherents into any paths of transgression and sin? Do they lead them to serve God less faithfully, to love him less fervently, or esteem his word less highly? Do they lead to any of the works of the flesh, or make less devoted and faithful Christians of those who believe them? No man can be found so reckless of his reputation for truth and honesty as to assert any such thing. And again, with equal confidence we inquire on the other hand, Do they not counsel everything that is lovely, pure virtuous, and of good report? Do they not rebuke sin of every kind? Is not their whole and undivided tendency to lead to more zeal and consecration in the service of our Master? Do they not lessen our attachment to things of earth, and lead us to a closer, and sweeter communion with the things of Heaven? Do they not lead to holiness of heart and purity of life? From whence, then, comes all this war against that of which nothing evil can be said? Do we not know from whence it comes? Ask Cain who slew his brother. Ask the Jews who clamored for the blood of the innocent Saviour. Ask the Papists who did all in their power for long ages to bury the word of God, in everlasting oblivion from honest hearts which were starving for its spiritual food. Ask the infidel who boils in wrath at the very name of Jesus. Ask, in short, the carnal heart in which there exists an inherent enmity against every thing heavenly and divine, and with which in its carnal state, it never can be reconciled. Here we find the fountain—a fountain21from which there never has come, and from which there never can come, any good thing. But our opponents are doing more for the truth than, perhaps, they anticipate in this thing. All such opposition only strengthens us in our position; for anything over which there is so much uncalled-for disturbance, so much groundless feeling, gives evidence of possessing in itself inherent goodness. Over the church's best treasures there will of course be the most stir in the ranks of the opposition. And just in proportion as war is waged against them; just so much the more should we cherish and defend them. Let us prize these visitations of grace vouchsafed to the church, and thankfully adopt the language of the poet: "How cheering the thought that the angels of bliss,
Will bend their bright wings to a world such as this,
Will leave the sweet joys of the mansions above
To breathe o'er our bosoms some message of love."
U. S.